Easy Beef Satay (沙嗲牛肉)

Skewers of flavorful beef get that perfect char over the Chinese grill and are served with a sweet, tangy and totally craveable nutty sauce. {Gluten-Free adaptable}

Summer is not over yet! Before you bid adieu to the longer days where lingering outdoors with friends and family makes the best memories, you should host one last barbecue. And when you do, you should make my beef satay. It is so easy to prepare and tastes amazing. The flavor comes from my simple marinade. Then once it’s grilled, you serve it with a nutty dipping sauce. So it’s meat on a stick served with a dipping sauce, making it the best summer barbecue food you can possibly serve.

Make this and you’ll see that these will go in a flash and your guests will all be begging for more. This’ll be the most popular thing on your table, I can assure you.

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Cooking notes

Here are my tips for getting this beef satay to come out perfectly.

1. What cut of beef to use

For starters, you’ll want to use flank steak or skirt steak. I really recommend these for the best flavor. You can use my tips for tenderizing tough meats that I’ve mentioned in my other posts by adding about 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda onto the beef and then adding the marinade to it, but don’t add to much baking soda or you’ll alter the taste.

2. Marinating is the key

You should also marinate for at least one hour at room temperature. If you want to let it marinate longer, you should put it in the fridge. You can even marinate it overnight if you’re expecting a big crowd so that you can just grill it when you’re ready.

3. Secret weapon

My next tip is to use a Chinese grill (I’ve written a more detailed post on this). If you plan on doing lots of grilling this way, I recommend getting one, though if you don’t you can always use your regular grill. Charcoal grills are best for getting the right flavor. I talk in great detail about the Chinese grill in my post about how to host a Chinese BBQ party. Essentially, the Chinese grill uses less coal, cooks faster, and creates a good char while leaving the beef very tender inside.

4. Skewers

Also, when it comes to skewers, I highly recommend using the metal ones instead of the bamboo ones. Bamboo ones always need to be pre-soaked and with metal ones, you never have to worry about that. But with bamboo ones, even pre-soaking them will result in burnt skewers (as you can see in my photos!). Metal skewers are easier to thread the meat onto and are longer than bamboo skewers so they’re easier to flip without burning yourself on the grill. They’re more cost-effective too, as you can use them with so many different kinds of kebabs.

Get one last hurrah out of the summer by hosting a Chinese barbecue party with beef satay!

More grilling related recipes

If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.

Beef Satay (沙嗲牛肉)

Skewers of flavorful beef get that perfect char over the Chinese grill and are served with a sweet, tangy and totally craveable nutty sauce. {Gluten-Free adaptable}If you need to make this dish gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos to replace the soy sauce.

Instructions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag, seal, and shake to mix well. Add the beef into the bag. Massage the bag a couple times to mix everything well. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. If you plan to marinate longer, store in the fridge for a couple hours, up to overnight.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and mix until it forms a smooth sauce. If the sauce comes out too thick (depending on the density of the peanut butter you use), add 1 or 2 tablespoons more water and blend again. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

As you prepare to cook, thread the beef onto skewers.

Preheat a grill over medium high heat until hot. Brush oil onto the grill gates and spread the beef skewers on top. Cook the skewers until both sides are charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove immediately and place on a serving plate. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if using. Scatter some chopped peanuts into the sauce to add texture. Serve hot with the peanut sauce.

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2 thoughts on “Easy Beef Satay (沙嗲牛肉)”

I must check out this chinese grill. I am intrigued and feel like i really want to have one!! I’m not in a situation where I have space or am able to grill right now, but I will be soon. And these skewers are going on the menu!!

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Hi, I’m Maggie!

Welcome to my site about modern Chinese cooking, Asian inspired dishes, and classic recipes cooked in my small Austin Kitchen. When it comes to cooking, getting the best taste is always my priority, but I try to take a less labor-intensive approach. Originally from Beijing, now I live in the US and travel around the world. Start browsing recipes right away or you could learn more about me here.